'The Fate of the Embassy

If we were to withdraw our troops (all of them) from Iraq, and let that unfortunate country develop its own government free of our influence and coercion, what do you think might happen to our near billion dollar embassy? It doesn't matter what form of government they might end up with (dictatorship or whatever), it seem to me they will not be prepared to allow us to occupy the largest and most lush embassy ever built, especially while they are still trying to rebuild their bombed out streets and houses and getting their electricity and water back, and so on. The embassy will reportedly need thousands of troops and workers of various kinds, all living in luxury with swimming pools, golf course, and movie theatres and what have you. This would be nothing less than a symbol of the humiliation, terror, and horror we brought them in the opening years of the 21st century. I don't believe they would allow this. So what might happen to the embassy? I suggest we give it to them as part of our abject apology for the behavior of our criminal leaders. It would doubtless make an absolutely wonderful University that would atone, at least in part, for the fact that we have destroyed their universities, along with most everything else.

I suspect they might allow us a modest embassy, perhaps a suite of offices, insisting that as all we would be doing is signing checks for reparations (you don't need much space just for writing out checks). Surely they won't allow us to help in reconstructing their infrastructure and such, not after our dismal failure so far. I doubt we would need any troops to defend this embassy as the Iraqis would doubtless guard it carefully lest any rabid imperialists escape to cause further damage.

I guess the basic problem here is that the embassy was not built with any expectation that we would ever leave Iraq (until, perhaps, the oil was exhausted). So much for great expectations, as it looks like we will eventually have to leave whether we wish to or not. There appears to be no conceivable way we can "win," even if anyone knew what it was to win. Either the Iraqis are going to do our bidding or they are not. It's pretty clear they are not. Therefore, no embassy, no permanent bases, no theft of oil, and, in fact, just failure as far as the eye can see (and even farther). The most horrible foreign policy blunder in American history, the most expensive and humiliating defeat, the blunder of blunders.

Now we see the wheels coming off the Bush/Cheney administration, the rats deserting the sinking ship, the lies upon lies upon lies, the finger pointings, the weaseling, the denials, just what one would espect from a falling apart jalopy careening crazily down the street headed straight for the pit of shame. Bush has run true to form, he has failed at everything he has attempted. Think of where we might be now had a criminal Supreme Court allowed the rightful winner to become President. Whatever you might think of Al Gore he would never have allowed such a total disaster to befall our country. Think of all the lives that would have been saved. Think of all the billions that could have been so much better spent. I confess, thinking about it makes me ill. I live to see some accountability.